New billboard campaign combines fitness and safety

It's one of the best and relatively inexpensive activities you can do with your children: biking. But, safety is a must with this activity.

"I wanted to show the effects of what could happen if you were in a biking accident," says Loreal Prystaj who took this Fit Kids idea a step further.

The Fairport High School student created this billboard as part of her class at the Eastern Monroe Career Center.

"The woman from the Injury Free Coalition for kids approached us because my kids in the past have done billboards in the past for Monroe County, Stop DWI. They have a contest so she approached us and wondered if our students would like to take it on as a project," says Sulyn Bennett-Hennessey, visual communications instructor at the Eastern Monroe Career Center.

"I made it graphic because I wanted it to make an impact on people when they saw it," says Prystaj.

According to the injury free coalition for kids, every year more than 250 children are injured in biking accidents. The most basic safety tips include: wearing a helmet, making sure the helmet is straight, not tilted on the head. The helmet strap should also be locked and don't wear headphones when you bike.

"It can distract you, you're not going to know if cars are coming up behind you," says Prystaj whose graphic billboard image may be the handy reminder families need to keep kids fit and safe.

"If you are riding a bike without a helmet and you can fall off and you can make a collision and have a head injury with bruises and blood."

Prystaj’s billboard was one of two chosen for the summer campaign which was sponsored by Kohl’s and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong.